A bitter pill for premature Mirco Demuro's

Mirco Demuro's stint riding in Britain took a turn for the worse at Wolverhampton yesterday when he collected a 12-day ban for riding a finish a circuit too early. After just six furlongs of the mile-and-six-furlong handicap, Demuro moved to the front aboard The Bells O Peover, a 10-1 chance, and pushed his mount clear before realising his mistake. The horse eventually completed the course last of the 11 runners.

Demuro's amazing misjudgment came just as he had started to build up some momentum, with nine winners and a decent strike-rate since he relocated to ride in Britain in April, six of those successes coming for The Bells O Peover's trainer Mark Johnston.

Mirco Demuro prematurely gets busy a circuit to early

But, although the suspension, which includes the final three days of the Royal Ascot meeting, will disrupt his hot streak, Demuro can be hopeful of securing further rides from Johnston in the future, according to his agent, Gareth Owen.

"There's not much I can say, but I've spoken briefly to Mark Johnston and he was very understanding and said that it's a mistake you only make once as a jockey," said Owen.

By and large, Johnston's assertion is correct, although the apprentice Dean Mernagh somehow managed to be banned three times for the offence between 1998 and 2000.

Five times the champion jockey in Italy, Demuro has won Group One contests around the world, including the Dubai World Cup on Victoire Pisa at Meydan in March 2011. The Racing Post quoted him as saying:

"I'm stupid, it's never happened to me before in my life. I feel very bad, I'm a professional and shouldn't do that"